Painted Floors & Steps: 22 Top Design Ideas Using Colors & Patterns

Have you got old wooden flooring that is in desperate need of renovation, but not enough budget to replace it? Or perhaps your linoleum floors are quite fine, but not especially inspiring? Maybe you’re transforming a basement with drab gray cement floor into a kid’s playroom and want to add some fun and colorful elements to the décor? Well…painted floors could be the answer!

Well, these are all great reasons for opting to paint your flooring! There are – of course – a few little things to bear in mind. Floors made from wood, cement, tile or linoleum (not so much laminate) make excellent surfaces for painted floor designs, and these days there are a number of specialist products for each of these types of surface that will help you achieve a professional finish. As always, best results will come from good preparation before your start painting!

It used to be that floor paints were available in only a small selection of utility colors – white, gray, black or brick – but things have changed and now you can get floor paints in all kinds of colors. And besides, if you can’t find the exactly right color in a special floor paint formula, you can also use any decent emulsion paint for the job and then finish it with a couple of coats of polyurethane sealant for protection.

So, all that remains is finding the best ideas for your painted floor project. A real bonus with paint is that you really can do just about anything you like: whether you just want a clean block of color, or like to embellish with geometric patterns, or a feeling super creative and want to create a unique floor mural – anything is possible. To some of the best of the many possibilities, we’ve collected a bunch of great painted floor ideas below to help you decide – enjoy!

Floor Painting Ideas Using Block Color

The simplest way to use floor paint is to choose the color you like and then paint the entire floor that one block color. However, choose your color wisely because it can really define the look of your room and give the space a certain feel. Lighter floor paints such as white or gray or light blue are a good idea if you want to keep your space crisp and minimalist or add a coastal vibe; bright and bold colors such as yellow or fuchsia are not for the faint of heart and need to be offset with equally bold décor choices; whilst dark floor paint such as deep blue or black can be very dramatic but also create a spare, paired down, urban aesthetic. Let’s take a look at some painted floor ideas using block color…

Blocks of color can also be used very effectively to zone different areas of one room – here a bedroom shared by three children has been cleverly zoned to accommodate personal space for each child! Check out the link to see the rest of the room.

Painted Stairs Ideas

If painting the whole floor seems like too bold a statement for your home, then you might want to consider just painting the stairs: doing so in a contrasting color will make a feature of a the staircase and add interest to your home design. And if you want to let loose on your creativity – but not too much (!) – the stairs are the perfect place to add a little magic.

You can paint a stair runner, combining stripes or stencils or stamps to add visual interest; or go completely freestyle and paint a graduated mural or add cute details like painted mice or uplifting messages. Check out these awesome stair painting ideas…

Painted Floors with Geometric or Stenciled Patterns

If you’re going gaga for all the fun patterned flooring that is available, but can’t afford to completely change what you’ve got, then painting patterns is the easiest way to get the look you want! Geometric patterns such as stripes or checkerboards are reasonable east to achieve, and for more complicated designs you can use stencils or pattern kits to ensure that the results are neat and tidy. And if you have a parquet floor, then another fun idea is to use paint to highlight some of the block in the parquet design!

The intricate painted lace pattern on this floor is created with an easy peasy stencil!

Freestyle Painted Floor Patterns

Finally, if you are super creative and confident, then you have the great advantage of painting anything you like on your floors! Create trompe l’oeil painted rugs, cover the entire flooring with a wild floral design, or add fun surprise details to personalize a space. There are no rules, so just have fun – after all if you don’t like it, you can always paint over it! Take a look at these wild painted floor ideas…

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